Aisling Bea has dedicated the final episode of her hit series This Way Up to her father Brian, who died by suicide.
The actress and comedian was just three-years-old when her father took his own life.
In a post shared on Instagram, the Kildare native explained she wrote the final episode of her show’s second season to help other people dealing with the grief of suicide.
She wrote: “The last ep of series 2 of #ThisWayUp aired tonight.”
“Out of all the episodes, I wrote this one for, & it is dedicated to my Dad, Brian, & to anyone who has lost someone to suicide & might not totally know how to talk about it.”
“But it can eat you up like a worm in a compost bin if you don’t, I found, so it is worth trying, even if it feels mad to use jokes to help.”
“I THINK it’s a hopeful episode & I hope I’ve not put you off watching it by mentioning the S word,” she continued.
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“I swear it IS a comedy & there is a Celine Dion impression I am pretty proud of at the end. I wish he could have seen it.”
“To everyone who has gotten in touch off the back of the show, I am so sorry for your losses whether of people or minds, this year has been immensely difficult for so many people & sorry if it exhausted you or your loved one’s coping abilities.”
“I may not reply, but do tend to see all the messages. And thanks so much for watching the show if you did & if you recommended it to other people.”
“Also, thanks to the people who helped me make this ep in particular – not all of them credited, but especially @bronactitley @david.mumeni & @clareemily89 who reminded me to find hope.”
“There’s a link in my bio to an article I wrote if the material in Ep6 has effected you,” Aisling wrote, before sharing contact details for mental health charities across the world.
The Channel 4 series, which can be watched on C4 on demand, scooped Aisling her first BAFTA TV Craft Award last year.
The 37-year-old won the Breakthrough Talent award for her comedy-drama, which she described as an “absolute dream come true”.
Only @WeeMissBea can use her acceptance speech time wisely after being named the 2020 #BAFTATV Craft Breakthrough Talent winner for #ThisWayUp! 😍 pic.twitter.com/0LRyNP6MqQ
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) July 17, 2020
The series, which stars Aisling as the lead, follows a teacher as she tries to pull her life back together after having a nervous breakdown.
During her acceptance speech, Aisling also dedicated the award to her late father Brian, who “didn’t get to be any older” than she is today.
If you have been affected by anything in this article, please visit www.pieta.ie or call 1800 247 247.
